Actor Matt Damon has stated he will not gain weight for movie roles again, citing health risks and the difficulty of subsequent weight loss. The 55-year-old Oscar winner shared that while he has undergone significant physical transformations for films, he found intentional weight gain to be particularly detrimental.
Damon's comments come as he prepares for the release of Christopher Nolan's adaptation of Homer's "The Odyssey," where he portrays the Greek king Odysseus. For this role, he transitioned from 200 pounds to 167 pounds, focusing on intense physical fitness and dietary changes. "It was more about just getting really, really physically fit, which just really involves changing your diet, just a whole lifestyle change," Damon told People. He noted the importance of being intentional about his intake and that he made these changes safely, avoiding an unhealthy approach.
He recalled a past experience portraying executive Mark Whitacre in Steven Soderbergh's 2008 film "The Informant!," where he intentionally gained 30 pounds. Damon also shared a cautionary tale about his "Oppenheimer" co-star Josh Hartnett, who gained a similar amount of weight for a role. Damon warned Hartnett that the gained weight would be difficult to lose, stating, "You're never gonna get that off again, man." Hartnett later recounted on "The Tonight Show" that Damon had predicted he would spend the rest of his life trying to lose the weight, which his body would naturally try to regain.
Damon has also experienced the opposite extreme, having reduced his weight to 139 pounds for his role as a drug-addicted U.S. Army specialist in the 1996 drama "Courage Under Fire." He described "The Odyssey" as the most challenging film he has been a part of, marking his third collaboration with director Christopher Nolan.
"The Odyssey" is scheduled to be released in U.S. and U.K. theaters on Thursday. Damon's other upcoming projects include co-producing Ben Affleck's directorial effort "Animals."